LIFE SCIENCES, AWARD RECIPIENT
Lawrence Blatt considers himself a born and made entrepreneur — it’s in his DNA, but he also met wonderful mentors along the way who taught him the keys to becoming a successful entrepreneur. It’s that spirit, both innate and acquired, that drove Blatt to leave a prominent and secure job to start Alios BioPharma Inc., which he now leads as CEO. The company and management are team-oriented, a core belief of Blatt, who believes companies are stronger when they build teams that train and learn to interact with one another. Blatt has also fostered external relationships with industry experts that have become critical to Alios’ success.
Another core belief of Blatt is to build a company as if you are going to keep it for a lifetime, not sell it off in a few months. With that in mind, Blatt has invested heavily in the research and development wing of Alios. Blatt believes in the concept of individuals discovering a drug, so it is important to establish goals centered on the discovery of a new drug and motivate the people within a company to innovate. Those guiding principles have spurred Alios to financial success. In June 2011, having previously only raised Series A financing, Alios secured a corporate partnership with Vertex Pharmaceuticals, a large, commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company. This would be transformative for both Alios and the people suffering from the diseases that Alios aspires to cure. Alios also secured 100 percent financing from Vertex for all future development costs required to take the related programs all the way through development and commercialization. Alios retains the operating control required to guide and influence the many complex program decisions.
HOW TO REACH: Alios BioPharma Inc., www.aliosbiopharma.com
